In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
Present simple example sentences | |
---|---|
Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | |
I really don't know, but I believe it's more than 100 years old. | |
How long does it usually take? | |
As far as I know, Chows are not good with other animals. | |
Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | |
In these cases, Pogo stays home alone with no food and no attention. | |
Then people come and complain to me! | |
Hey, which is the closest station to China Town? | |
I wake up and make my bed, then tidy my room. | |
I agree, long flights aren't very pleasant. | |
Sorry, the line is very bad! | |
Of course, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | |
I don't think we need to pay for it. | |
A one year course? What kind of course is it? | |
In the recipe it says 600g. | |
Yes sir, you can have a seat at this table. | |
No worries Mike, as I said, he only does it when he is stressed. | |
Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | |
Oh f*ck, what kind of tap is this? | |
Well, it's about a kid, I mean a robot. |